New twists on traditional sports have sparked a resurgence in their participation. For example, a twist on bowling is the use of luminescent pins instituted in alleys for “glow-in-the-dark” games. Another example is the indoor “glow-in-the-dark” miniature golf courses that utilize a means to illuminate golf balls and the associated holes or cups. Similar efforts have been made to adapt activities performed during the day-time, more suitable for evening play. For example, many golf-courses now offer “glow-in-the-dark” golf during nighttime hours. The concept of playing these sports in dark conditions is strikingly imaginative because they all require precision and accuracy to engage an illuminated target.
Skeet shooting is also a sport that requires a precise and an accurate shot and, therefore, it is commonly played during daylight because dusk or darker lighting conditions make the skeet target less visible. In contrast to the bowling pins and golf balls/holes, a skeet target, or “clay pigeon,” is a moving target that reaches approximately 90 mph. For this reason, the sport of skeet shooting has not yet adapted a means for illuminating the skeet target so as to enable skeet shooting at dusk or nighttime. However, with respect to current “glow-in-the-dark” activities to date, any innovation in illumination as associated with firearms, has been directed toward “tracers” or otherwise illuminating the ammunition, and not the target. Such innovations are meaningless in the sport of skeet shooting as only a single shot, or perhaps two, are ever directed toward a single target. Under such circumstances, tracing the fired ammunition is not of any value or benefit.
The present invention teaches a novel luminescent skeet target that provides a means for a skeet shooter to participate in the sport during dusk, or other conditions where ambient light is not sufficient to identify the skeet target. By illuminating the skeet target, rather than the ammunition used to shot at it, the user can shoot into the dark (perhaps from a lighted location) toward the visually illuminated skeet target.
Chemiluminescence is the emission of light with limited emission of heat (luminescence), as a result of a chemical reaction. Given two reactants, A and B, with an excited intermediate, light is produced. For example if one reactant is luminol and another reactant is hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a suitable catalyst, then there can be produced an excited intermediate that fluoresces as it decays to a lower energy level.
The use of chemiluminescence is known to illuminate certain objects. However, while it has been used to illuminate objects that are thrown or otherwise fly through the air, it has not been used to illuminate targets that fly through the air.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an illuminated and preferably, chemiluminscent, skeet target that can be used when ambient lighting conditions are not sufficient to otherwise see the skeet target. In addition, there is a need for an illuminated trap from which a skeet target is launched into the air to enable one to see the skeet target prior to its launch.